DOI: 10.5507/ff.25.24465821.04

Waria and Marriage in Malay Muslim Society in Indonesia

Novidayanti Novidayanti (A.)

Islam and Malay customs and traditions (Adat Melayu) are significant components of Malay society in Indonesia, as “Malayness has widely been equated with Islam” (Long 2013, 143). The intertwining discourses of Islam and Adat Melayu are expressed through the society’s philosophy of life, i.e., customs are based on shari’a, and shari’a is based on the Holy Quran. Although there is a premise that the local society is ideally committed to living in harmony with minority groups and maintaining good mutual relationships with male-to-female transgender individuals, or “waria,” the discourse of transgenderism and sexuality in Jambi remains at the bottom of public discussions, especially in the context of Islam and Adat. “Incommensurability between religion and desire” (Boellstorff 2005, 575) exaggerates the position of waria in society when their sexual orientation is brought into public discussion. This chapter examines the legal institution of heterosexual marriage from the perspective of waria in Malay Muslim society in Jambi. It is based on field observations and in-depth interviews with waria interlocutors. The aim is to explore how waria articulate this form of relationship with the opposite sex while engaging in same-sex relationships.

pages: 83-104